Table-mat.



E. A. LAHlERE.

TABLE MAT.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 12. 1914.

Patented June 8, 1915.

l/vbweooeo EUGENE A. LAHIERE, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

TABLE-MAT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 8, 1915.

Application filed March 12, 1914. Serial No. 824,233.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE A. LAHIiaRE, a citizen of France, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Table-Mats, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to table mats, and more particularly to an improved doily mat for dining tables.

It is one aim of the invention to provide a mat of this class, so constructed that it will not be liable to scratch or otherwise mar the highly polished surface of the table top upon which it is disposed, even though it be shifted about upon the table. The mat is designed especially for use when a table cloth is not employed, and the invention, therefore, also aims to so construct the mat that heated dishes may be placed thereon and the heat prevented from drawing and warping the table top, or otherwise injuring the finish thereof.

Another aim of the invention is to provide a mat which will be entirely noiseless in use, and which will, while possessing the desired stiffness, also possess the desired degree of softness throughout its area upon which the dishes are to be disposed.

The mat embodying the present invention includes in its structure a sheet of asbestos, or other suitable heat insulating material, and itis one aim of the invention to so form this sheet that while it will not be liable to buckle or crack, or become disintegrated, it will possess the desired degree of softness. Mats of this class have been devised, con sisting of several layers of material bound at the periphery of the mat by a metallic strip or the like, but such mats possess the disadvantage that they are noisy in use and liable to mar the finish of the table upon which they are disposed. It is, therefore, an aim of the present invention to so unite the several layers comprising the mat that both faces of the mat will be plane, except for the provision of a central pad upon each face, as will be hereinafter described.

As before stated, the present invention relates specifically to a doily mat, which is intended to be disposed upon the surface of a table and to have placed upon its upper face a doily, and the invention has in view the provision upon each face of the mat, the mat being reversible, of means for preventing slipping of the doily and its displacement with relation to the mat, the said means serving also to prevent slipping of the mat upon the surface of the table top.

As before stated, the mat is reversible, and advantage is taken of this fact by providing facing sheets of different colors, so that the mat may be placed with one or the other of its faces uppermost, depending upon the color of the decorations of the room in which the mat is used.

In the accompanyin drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view OI the mat embodying the present invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional View therethrough. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the mat disposed upon a table top and having placed upon it a doily. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2, illustrating a slightly modified construction of the mat.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the accompanying drawings by the same reference characters.

The mat embodying the present invention consists, briefly stated, of an annular or other shaped border member, a heat insulating layer confined within the border member, facing sheets, and cushioning pads which are located one upon each of the facing sheets, preferably centrally thereof, the mat in the present instance, being circular. The border member, indicated by the numeral 1, is annular and is preferably cut from a sheet of pasteboard, or other relatively stiff fibrous material. The heat insulating sheet or layer, is, in the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, formed from asbestos, or other suitable material, which is a non-conductor of heat, and this layer is indicated by the numeral 2, and is circular and of a diameter to fit exactly within the border member 1. The layer 2 is not compressed so as to be as stiff as the border member, but, on the other hand, is flexible to the desired degree and possesses the desired degree of softness. The facing sheets are indicated by the numeral 3 and are preferably of smooth paper of good quality, these sheets being circular and of the same diameter as the border member 1. In applying the sheets, they are secured at their edge portions by means of any suitable adhesive to the opposite faces of the said border member with the margins of the sheets registering with the outer periphery of the said member, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. sheets, upon each mat, be of so that the mat may be disposed upon the table with one orthe other of its sides uppermost, depend1ng upon the color scheme It is preferably that the two facing of the decorations in the room in which the matis used. For example, the facing sheet upon one side of the mat may be green and that upon the other side may be pink, so

that the first or last mentioned sides of the mat may be exposed to view, depending upon whether the decorations in the room are curedby adhesive or otherwise, to each of the facing sheets, preferably centrally of the.

mat, a small pad &, preferably of cantonflannel. As stated, the pads 4' are located preferably centrally of the mat and they are, furthermore, preferably of the same contour as the mat. In applying the pads to the facing sheets, the pads are secured thereto with their nap sides outermost so that they will present a soft surface to the table top.

In that formof the invention shown in Fig. t of the drawings, the heat insulating layer consists of a circular sheet of cantonflannel, indicated by thenumeral 5, having applied to its smooth side a layer of asbes- 'tos 6,-the asbestos being united to the canton-flannel sheet in any suitable manner.

Ihe layer, as so construced, will have a relatively soft coating of asbestos at one face and the. relatively soft nap surface of the ianton-flannel sheet presented at its other ace.

It will be obvious that the canton-flannel sheet5 serves to prevent the asbestos layer from becoming disintegrated or cracking, and that it in no way interferes with the heat insulating properties of the asbestos layer, regardless of which side of the mat is in contact with the table surface. 7

From the foregoing description of the invention, and from an inspection of Fig. 2, it will be apparent that the mat while possessing the desired stifiness at its margin, is sufficiently soft to render it noiseless in use and to serve effectually as a cushion. It will also be apparent that the mat is plane upon both sides, except for the centralpads 4 and that, consequently, the mat will rest flat upon the table top, the pads being sulficiently thick to serve the purpose for which Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Washington, D. 0."

different colors, 7

they are intended, and yet not liable to interfere with the mat resting fiat upon the surface of the table. It will also be obviousv that inasmuch as the nap sides of'the sheets comprising the pads 4c, are presented outwardly, the pad at the under side ofthe mat will contact frictionally with the highly polished surface of the table top and prevent slipping of the mat upon the said surface and the pad upon the upper surface of the cealed by the usual solid center of the doily I disposed upon the 'matand, consequently,

the pleasing appearance. of the lace work against the colored facing. sheet will not be detracted from.

Having thus described the inventiornwhat is claimed as new is:

1. In a mat of the class sided open border member, a sheet of heat insulating material fitted within the border member, a sheet of fabric having a nap side described, a flat disposed within the bordermember against the inner face of the sheet of heat insulating material, and a facing sheet disposed against each face of the mat and secured atv its edge portion to the corresponding face of the border member, the said facing sheets constituting the sole means for retaining the heat insulating material and the sheet'of fabric within the border member.

2. A mat cfthe class described having plane facesfand a friction pad of smaller diameter than the mat located substantially centrally of each face. I

3. In a mat of the class described, a flat sided open border member, a sheet of heat insulating material fitting within the border 'member, and a facing sheet disposed against each face of the sheet of heat insulating material, the said facing sheets being secured at their edge portions to the fiat faces of the border member and constituting the sole means for retaining the sheet of heat insulating material wlthin the border member.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EUGENE A. LAHIERE.

Witnesses:

SAMUEL N. AOKER, Josnrn C. ZIRKLE.

Commissioner of Patents, 

